Page 132 of Second Chance for Mr. Alden

I still didn’t release my hold. “Jess, you left Jareth in charge while we’re gone. Let him handle it.”

She grunted, her tense body relaxing the tiniest bit in my arms. I know how much she hated letting go of control. Jareth, the fucker, had been helpful this past year while the company was investigated and Jess had to calm not just board members, but the employees.

Once we’d given Gage a starting point, it was like a deck of cards crumbling to the ground. One account led to another to another. Jess’s parents had embezzled and defrauded the company for years. They screwed with employee pensions, company profit, and any money they could get their hands on.

Jess, who felt personally responsible for it all, was working hard to repair the trust her parents destroyed and to give back what was taken.

While there was no actual evidence that Jess’s parents were involved in Jareth’s dad’s death, they were able to find evidence that absolved his father’s involvement from the original embezzlement charges twenty years ago, and the Feds were able to put Jess’s parents away for fraud, embezzlement, and attempted kidnapping.

“James, I don’t think I would have survived this last year without you.” Jess picked up her head to stare into my eyes.

“Yes, you would have, but I’m happy you didn’t have to.” I rubbed my fingers across her cheek. “You make me so happy, Jess.”

She smiled. “Marry me.”

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

A sharp sting to my cheek had me opening my eyes to meet her fiery ones.

“What the hell, James Alden! I just asked you to marry me and you close your fucking eyes and nod?” She pushed against me, trying to scramble off of my chest.

I laughed.

Her gaze narrowed as she fought me. “I take it back. Go to hell.”

“Jess, I fucking love you.” I sat up with her still struggling in my arms, careful not to hurt her. At my words she crossed her arms over her chest. I knew her intention wasn’t to distract me with her gorgeous body, but damn it if I didn’t want to stop and lavish her gorgeous breasts with my attention.

“Eyes up here, jerk,” she huffed, still mad at me.

I slid her from my lap to the bed. “Stay here.”

When she made a move to get up. I pushed her back down.

She glared at me but stayed put.

I unzipped my suitcase and brought out the tiny black box. When I turned around Jess’s eyes widened as she saw what was in my hand.

“I’d planned a whole romantic night and wanted to ask you with our family and friends all around us, but you kind of jumped the gun.”

“James,” Jess whispered, her hands going to cover her mouth.

I got down on one knee. I hadn’t planned to do this naked, but here went nothing. “Jessamine Sulton, I’ve loved you for over ten years. It hurts to say out loud, but if anything ever happened to you it would destroy me. My heart, my soul, my entire being are yours. You own me. This ring symbolizes my eternal love for you.”

“Yes,” she screamed and jumped off of the bed and into my arms, narrowly missing kicking my dick.

“I didn’t ask yet,” I grumbled.

She peppered kisses all over my face. “Yes, you did. You love me, you can’t live without me, I’m your ball and chain. We’re getting married.”

Laughter burst out of me. “Life will never be boring with you.”

The edges of her perfect, pouty lips curved up into a smile. “Never.”

“I love you. Marry me, Jessamine Sulton. Make me the happiest man ever, bring sunshine into my life every damn day. I can’t imagine a second without you in it.”

She grabbed my face and held it in her hands, her amber eyes brimming with tears. “You have my heart and my soul. And I’m yours. You own me. If you ever try to leave me, I’ll come after you. I love you with all my fucking heart, James Alden. And yes, I want to marry you.”

I slowly slid the ring on her outstretched hand and grinned as she wiggled her fingers to admire it. When she gasped, I knew she realized what ring was sitting on her finger.

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